Chapter 17

Dalton

Things took a major turn for the awkward as soon as we arrived at my place.

Devolin pulled up and parked behind my truck, as I stood leaning against the tailgate, waiting for her. That’s when I saw her conflicted look warring with one of panic on her face. All of this as she remained unmoving behind the wheel.

I approached her vehicle without her noticing me, then opened her car door for her.

When she still didn’t budge, or acknowledge my presence, I crouched down and softly prompted her. “Devolin? Honey, what’s the matter?”

“I-I don’t think I can do this.”

“This? This what?”

“I can deal with telling you all about me. The bad. The ugly.” She licked her lips. “But—”

I couldn’t help myself. Something told me I needed to reestablish our connection, and the easiest way to do that was by touching her. Grabbing her hand, I squeezed it. “Look at me.” She gave. “We don’t have to do anything that’ll make you feel uncomfortable.”

“But that’s just it.” Her sigh came heavy with frustration. “I’m uncomfortable all of the time. I don’t know how to deal with this. I don’t know how to deal with you. Me. Us.”

Isolated. Alone. Not used to contact outside of her small circle. I had to remind myself of these facts, even as I tried to figure what it all meant in the grand scheme of things for us.

“Will you still come in?” I asked. In the state she was in, I wasn’t above begging, just to make sure that she was in the right frame of mind before letting her go off on her way. “If it makes you feel better, you pick one end of the room and I’ll stick to the opposite side of it. I won’t push you to give me any more than you’re ready for.”

Her nod came hesitantly, albeit determined.

 

As soon as she’d made it to the couch, Devolin let herself drop to the edge of the cushion, her fingers automatically clasping each other, turning white with what I’d discovered to be a nervous tick of hers.

Instead of going to her, I asked, “Something to drink? There’s water, unless you want something stronger, in which case it would be a Bud Light or JD.”

Her answer of “Both,” shocked me into simply nodding and heading to the kitchen cabinet, then the fridge, and my hutch to fetch our refreshments, all the while worried about my guest’s extreme discomfort.

When I entered the living room, Devolin looked a bit more at ease, even though her skin remained pale and her movements were a little abrupt, with the way she grabbed the beer I handed her. As soon as I set the two tumblers and the bottle of Jack down on the coffee table, I straightened with the intention of doing as I’d told her I would earlier and head for the other end of the room. She put a stop to that by grabbing onto my wrist.

“Sit,” she whispered, “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“I can’t tell you all about me with you being at the other end of the room.” Her nose scrunched up. “It would be weird.”

With that, my ass found the next cushion over and settled in for everything Devolin was willing to share. If I knew now what I’d know afterward, she’d say that the alcohol was more for me than for her. She’d barely touched her beer.

 

I was dying.

I had to be.

My body was running at a fever pitch; my mind was scrambled. And all I had to blame it on was a one hundred and ten pound, auburn-haired, bright-eyed angel straddling my lap, her shaking hands, questing over my shirt covered chest.

A fucking virgin!

I was in hell.

I was in heaven.

How the fuck could I figure out where I was when I couldn’t make out up from down with Devolin’s little gasps and the awestruck look strewn upon her face.

All because I’d won her trust.

All because she’d asked something so little of me, in such an innocent fashion, that I would have given her anything.

I was so busy trying to keep my hands off Devolin that the touch of her tongue, where my shirt collar started, had my body jumping as if she’d hit me with a live wire.

At my groan, Devolin jumped back to the point I had no choice but to brace my arms around her to prevent her from toppling off my lap.

Embarrassment rolled off her in droves. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Are you kidding me?” I croaked, moving my hands so I could feel the skin of her bare arms, rubbing soothingly. “Sweetheart, I can’t even begin to tell you what you’re doing to me.” With that, I arched my pelvis into her, causing her skin to flush with the most adorable blush and her emerald eyes to widen.

Her mouth opened, then closed. “Well…” Her eyes were trained to the side of my neck.

“Come here,” I whispered, pulling her toward me, as a hand went up to sift into her hair, coming away with the clip that had secured the twist that was in it all day. Her arms rounded my shoulders and held onto the back of the couch as she came willingly, collapsing against my chest, her head laying in the crook of my neck, her breath fanning over my Adam’s apple. I gave her a squeeze. She fit so fucking perfectly in my arms, I’d be happy if she stayed there for the rest of my life. “I don’t want to let you go.”

Devolin’s body tensed, but as soon as it had, she relaxed against me. “Then don’t,” she whispered. After a moment of silence, she added, “Will you…will you let me know if I do something you don’t like?”

This had me chuckling, which proved not be the best of reactions.

As Devolin fought to get off me, I pulled her in, locking my arms behind her back once again. “Stay.”

“I’m not a dog, Dalton!”

I pecked her scrunched up nose, watching as her annoyance melted away before my eyes and she settled. “I want to kiss you.”

“I’m not sure I want your kisses if you’re going to laugh at me,” she snipped.

Okay, so she was still annoyed.

“Baby…” That got her attention. “I can guaran-damn-tee that there’s nothing you could do that I won’t like.”

Her forehead dropped to my shoulder. “But what if there is?”

I turned my head to kiss her temple, whispering, “There isn’t.” Unlocking my hands so I could reach into her hair and fist it, I pulled her head back gently, eliciting a gasp from her. As soon as her shocked gaze met mine, her irises turned a dark green, her pupils dilated. She was turned on. This was my chance.

And I took it.

Crashing my mouth down to hers, I took what she was willing to give me. For a split-second there, I was worried about my forwardness. When that pleasured mewl of hers came out, I took the opportunity to get a more thorough taste of her. Fuck she was sweet, all bubble-mint with a hint of something darker. Chocolate. The pure decadence that was Devolin had me wondering if the rest of her would taste as sinful if I drizzled the creamy treat all over her.

Devolin wriggled over my lap, one hand holding my head to her, the other sifting its fingers through my hair, her nails scoring my scalp. I wanted those nails embedded in my ass as I fucked her. I wanted them buried in my shoulders and back while I made love to her, showed her the varying degrees of pleasure that could exist when two people get as close as possible.

My mouth trailed from her lips, down to her chin, her neck, her collarbone, where I stopped to nibble.

Devolin was completely gone. In her place was some sort of siren. She arched back, holding onto the sides of my neck as I mumbled, “Christ you’re hot,” right above the swell of her breasts, bared where her blouse buttons parted. This necessitated her grinding down on my swollen cock, which felt like it was being strangled in my jeans. “Fuck,” I groaned, then buried my face in her neck. She smelled of perfume, shampoo, sweat, and a little bit of what made Devolin her own unique blend of aphrodisiac, specifically tailored with me in mind. “We need to slow this down,” I mumbled against the skin of her jaw, nipping it before pulling back.

Devolin’s eyes were on fire at this point. She dropped her forehead to mine, her breath fanning against my face.

I couldn’t help myself, I lifted my chin to peck her lips lightly.

“Oh, God! Oh, damn! Oh, shit! Shit! Shit!” came from the entrance before the front door slammed shut.

My head fell to rest on the back of the couch on a sighed, “Fuck,” while Devolin’s body began to shake. Within seconds, she burst out laughing.

“That…” she huffed through her giggles, “that was...” another bout of hilarity, “payback.” She dissolved in another fit of laughter before finally finding her wits. “That was for the times she’s—”

“Oh, no, no, no, no, no!” I cut her off. “I don’t need to know who and what my sister’s business with guys is. I don’t even want the vaguest of idea. Get me?” My eyes narrowed on hers to prove how much I didn’t want her to finish that sentence of hers.

The smile she gave me lit up her entire face and I was mesmerized. “I got you, Kip,” she whispered onto my lips before giving the lower one a nip, then licking away the sting.

“Are you sure you’ve never done this?” I groaned, as she shimmied back and started to get off me. “You’re killing me here.”

Her short laugh did nothing to conceal her humor. “Want me to kiss it and make it better?” As soon as her words were out, her eyes went wide, she blanched, then blushed, and I couldn’t help the grin that spread on my face.

If I were to take things beyond simple pecks here and there and make out sessions, I’d have to find out how much Devolin had experienced in her limited freedom over the years.

Getting to my feet, I shifted myself in my jeans, in hopes to restore some circulation in my cock, then wrapped a hand around the back of Devolin’s neck, pulling her into my chest.

“I-I…”

“Sweetheart, when the time is right, and when you’re ready, I’ll give you free reign to do just that, but not before we discuss things first,” I said, then kissed her stupid before releasing her and heading for the front door. Skylar was waiting after all.